The festival says on its website that Zaryan’s “creativity is the quintessence of that which is finest in the history of jazz, a continuation of the tradition of legendary accomplishments by female jazz vocalists.”
The website adds that Zaryan “owes her worldwide recognition to a unique style, with a characteristic lightness of phrasing and a warm, matte tone of voice.”
Zaryan was the first Polish musician to release records under New York’s legendary Blue Note label.
In 2022, she released her 11th album entitled Sara, which won her the title of the best Polish jazz singer of the year.
During her concert in London, she will appear with Michał Tokaj at the piano.
Meanwhile, the Polish trio Kroke (Yiddish for Kraków) is billed to perform at the London Jazz Festival on November 18.
Formed in 1992 by Tomasz Kukurba, Jerzy Bawof and Tomasz Lato, graduates of the Kraków Academy of Music, Kroke were initially associated with klezmer music with strong Balkan influences.
Today heavily influenced by jazz, contemporary and ethnic music imbued with their own improvisations, the trio "have honed a totally unique style which has attracted attention from renowned artists and audiences the world over."
One of their albums, East Meets East, was a collaborative project with violinist Nigel Kennedy.
The programme of the London Jazz Festival also includes a concert in tribute to the late Polish trumpeter and composer Tomasz Stańko on November 11.
The festival organizers say that “Tomasz Stańko first brought his eloquent lyricism to European jazz in the 1960s, gaining international renown. His career entered a majestic second act in the 1990s, with ten standout albums following over the next two decades.”
The festival's website quotes from The Guardian: “Nobody holds a single, long-blown trumpet note like… Stańko.”
The concert in tribute to Stańko will showcase upcoming British talent associated with ECM Records, including guitarist Rob Luft, singer Alice Zawadzki and bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado.
(mk/gs)